522 
THE GARDENING WORLD 
•June 
13, 190?. 
News of the Week—continued. 
Orchids at £262 10s. Each.— An Odomtoglossum crispurn 
Raymond Crawshay, with two bulbs, was knocked down for 
£262 10s. amid cheers at Protheroe’s the other day. An Odon- 
toglossum crispum, in bloom, fine spotted variety, went for 
£126. 
* -A' * 
Gold Medal of the Linnean Society. —A Gold Medal is 
annually awarded to a distinguished botanist alternately with a 
zoologist, who may have rendered signal service to science. On 
this occasion the medal has been awarded to M. C. Cook, Esq., 
V.M.H., M.A., L.LD., F.R.S., etc. Mr. Cook is a distinguished 
fungologist. 
* * * 
Electricity and Horticdlture.— This was the subject of a 
paper read by Mr. T. T. Watson (Perth) at a meeting of the 
Dundee Horticultural Association on the 2nd inst. Mr. 
William Kennedy presided, and there was a fair attendance. 
At the conclusion of his paper Mr. Watson was awarded a vote 
of thanks. 
* * * 
The Gardeners’ Royal Benevolent Institution. —As already 
announced, the anniversary festival of this institution will take 
place on June 24th next at the Hotel Metropole, when the Earl 
of Warwick will preside. Contributions to the chairman’s list 
are earnestly solicited, and will be gratefully received and acknow¬ 
ledged by the secretary if sent to the office, 175, Victoria Street, 
Westminster. 
* * * 
The New Bridge at Kew. — On the 20th May the new bridge 
at Kew was opened by the King and Queen in person, who 
travelled from Buckingham Palace to Kew for the special pur¬ 
pose, and were received right loyally by the inhabitants lining 
the route. The King named the bridge the King Edward VII. 
Bridge, but it will long be known to most people simply as Kew 
Bridge. Visitors to Kew will find it a much more commodious 
means of crossing the river Thames than the old structure, 
which was too narrow and steep for the accommodation of the 
thousands who flock there during the summer months. 
* * * 
The Ayrshire Potato Crop. —A number of Potato merchants, 
principally from Glasgow, Govan, Hamilton, and Kilmarnock, 
were last week over the district inspecting the early Potato' crop. 
Large purchases, it is understood, were made on the leading 
farms on the shore north and south of Girvan. The prices to be 
paid are stated to be equal to last year’s high figures, from £35 
to £40 per Imperial acre on the ground, the purchaser raising 
the crop. At the public sales for some advanced lots of Puritans 
£45 to £50 per acre were reached. Though some earlier fields 
were touched with the withering east winds in April they 
speedily recovered, and all have escaped the May frost, which 
not unfrequently plays sad havoc with the young leaf. The 
fields are looking well, but all over the crop will be ten days 
later than last year. 
* * * 
Proposed New Park for East Birmingham.— The Baths and 
Parks Committee, in a report presented to the City Council 
on June 9th, stated that they had for some years been seeking 
a favourable opportunity of presenting a recommendation for the 
provision of a public park in the thickly-populated district of 
East Birmingham. The only open spaces secured to the public 
in this large and densely-populated area are Adderley Park 
(10a. Or. 22p.), presented by Lord Norton, and the Recreation 
Ground in Nechells, originally consisting of 9 acres. The latter 
has, however, been from time to time reduced to meet the re¬ 
quirements of the Gas Department, and will eventualy be entirely 
absorbed. After exhaustive inquiry the committee have been 
unable to find any suitable land for the purpose of a park in 
either Duddeston or Nechells Wards, but at the present time 
some vacant land remains in Saltley Ward, and the committee 
are now in a position to recommend the Council to acquire a 
piece of land, 43 acres in extent, situated in the hamlet of little 
Bromwich, within the city. It is freehold, and well adapted 
to the purpose proposed. It is bounded on the north by the 
Washwood Heath Road, to which it has a considerable frontage, 
on the east by Slade Field Road, and on the south and west 
by land the property of Lord Norton, Mrs. Wakeman Newport, 
and the representatives of the late Alderman Hart. The price 
asked for the whole, assuming the acreage to be correctly stated, 
is £13,514, or an average of £316 per acre. The committee re¬ 
commend that they be authorised to acquire the land in ques¬ 
tion, and that the Finance Committee be instructed to borrow 
the sum of £14,000. 
* * * 
Grand Yorkshire Gala. —We would remind our readers that 
the entries for The Grand Yorkshire Gala close on Wednesday 
next, the 17th inst. The secretary is Mr. Fred. Arey, Davyhall 
Chambers, Davyhall, York. 
* * * 
Nothing to See. —A correspondent says he overheard the fol 
lowing conversation the other night at the flower show • in tin 
Waverley Market :—Time, 9.40 p.m.—Band finished playing 
and crowd rapidly dispersing—A.—“ Are you going to stay am 
longer?” B.—•“ No 1 , there’s nothing left to see.” A.—■“- 
But the flowers.” 
* * 
Holyrood Palace Gardens. —The gardens of Holyrood Palaci 
were opened to the public for the first time at two o’clock on the 
1st inst., and from that hour until five o’clock, when the gate 
was closed, large numbers of people took the opportunity of in 
specting the grounds and that part of the Palace and Abbej 
which formerly could only be viewed from the. .distant vantage: 
of the Salisbury Crags and the slopes of Arthur’s Seat. Tht 
majority of the visitors seemed to be holidaymakers from a dis¬ 
tance, not citizens, the hours scarcely offering those of the lattei 
engaged in business much chance of being present. Admission 
was by the Palace entrance, through the quadrangle and chapel, 
and a few constables were on duty to see that the visitors' 
curiosity did not lead them too far. The gardens will be thrown 
open on ensuing Mondays during the same hours until further 
notice. 
* w * 
Choked ry a Bean. —The West Sussex Coroner (Mr. F. W. 
Butler) held an inquest at the Downview Hotel, West Worthing, 
on the 2nd inst., touching the death of Florence Kate 'Stagg, the 
infant child of a gardener living at 37, Elm Grove, Heene. 
Alice Stagg, the mother of the child, stated that the deceased 
was 14 months old v and that she died on Sunday morning 
about 10 o’clock. She had been playing upstairs while witness 
was making the beds ; but, hearing a scream, witness turned 
round and saw her with her mouth open and “making faces.' 
Being frightened, witness ran downstairs and put the child 
in the arms of ai neighbour. There were some Scarlet Runnei 
Beans in a box in the room, but she did not know how the 
deceased could have got any of these, as she had been playing 
on the floor. Mr. J. S. Crook, of West Tarring, who had since 
made a post-mortem examination, said he found a bean firmh 
fixed in the windpipe, completely blocking the air passage and 
causing asphvxia. A verdict of accidental death was returned. 
* * * 
New Park at Eltham. —A new park at Eltham, named Aver) 
Hill, was formally declared open to the public on the 23rd ult 
by Lord Monk-swell, chairman of the London County Council 
It is the most beautiful addition made by the Council to the 
many open spaces acquired in London and its suburbs for tin 
recreation of the people. Avery Park, which has an area of : 
little over 84 acres, was purchased from the trustees of the lab 
Colonel North for the sum of £25,000, a comparatively low 
figure. The mansion, erected by Colonel North at great expense 
together with conservatories, stabling, and winter gardens, i: 
included in the estate. The ceremony was held in the ball-roon 
of the- house, and was attended by several of the London Count) 
Councillors, the Mayors of Lewisham, Greenwich, and Woolwich 
and many of the principal residents in the district. Mr. J. W 
Cleland, chairman of the Parks and Open Spaces Committee 
conducted the proceedings. It had been decided, he said, tlia 
all but a small poi’tion of the land, together with the winter 
garden, the conservatories, and some rooms on the ground floor 
should be.devoted to the purposes of public recreation, the ball 
room with the annexe adjoining, the sculpture-room and tht 
drawing-room being retained as shelters and refreshment rooms 
The remainder of the mansion would be used as a convalescent 
home for children. Mr. Cleland then called on Lord Monkswell 
who, in declaring the park open, said that no part of the wort 
of the County Council had been more popular than that of pre¬ 
serving open spaces for the pleasure and recreation of the public., 
and he believed that the new park would be warmly approved ol 
and highly appreciated, not only by people resident in the neigh 
bourhood, but by the inhabitants of London, who would bt 
afforded facilities by means of electric tramways of visiting that 
beautiful place. 
